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They were Penn State, the above upcoming Sports Illustrated Cover says it all.

Before I begin let me say that the victims are the ones we all must remember here, none of the unprecedented sanctions handed down by the NCAA today to Penn State University for the inexcusable acts committed both criminally by the walking monster Jerry Sandusky, and former leadership including Joseph Vincent Paterno on a ethical level by covering up the most horrific criminal act on the planet, sexual assault of multiple innocent children can possibly take away the hurt caused to each and every one of the victims and their families.

Over the course of the last year the world has watched one of the biggest falls from grace we’ve ever seen…Joe Paterno has fallen and fallen justifiably although posthumously very hard.

Last November Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno’s long time top assistant and defensive coordinator was arrested inappropriate relations with a child in the shower of the Penn State locker room, this in itself horrific enough but than we find out that this happened back in 1998, here it was 2011 and we just hear about it now? Something wasn’t stirring the kool-aid. Paterno at first denied any prior knowledge then said as more pressure came “I notified my superiors”….Hey Joe here’s one, “Why in the Hell did you not notify law enforcement and your superiors?”

Oh that’s right you and your superiors were to wrapped up in protecting your false clean image of a football program to be bothered with stopping a molester. Not only did Paterno not do anything back then, but continued to allow Sandusky around the Penn State football team for subsequent years to come even after learning of the 1998 events. All this time passed and unfortunately that meant multiples of more victims for Sandusky, by the time the formal arrest was made and formal case against Sandusky was brought to trial in June of this year, there were 48 criminal counts against him. How many of these counts could have been stopped if any of the Penn State leadership stepped up in 1998? The thought just makes me furious.

Joe Paterno was fired four days after Jerry Sandusky was arrested in November, Penn State’s then president resigned on the same day. Paterno was billed as a hero by most on the Penn State campus for his some 60 year career with the school, many feeling at that time his firing was unjust. Paterno passed away a few short months later in January 2012 as a result of lung cancer…..still the perfect image was intact.

That image of perfection would quickly begin to fall apart as the months progressed and the criminal counts and victim volumes increased during the criminal investigation Jerry Sandusky, in fact Sandusky was charged as I said with 48 total counts covering multiple victims….

“He was Joe Paterno, coaching legend. He is in my opinion Joe Paterno aide to Jerry Sandusky child molester. Joe wasn’t a part of the physical acts but he did absolutely nothing to stop him back in ’98 and as as result allowed for many more victims”

All of this was brought into light by the Louis Freeh investigative report that was done within the ranks of Penn State in the midst of the Sandusky developments. It wasn’t only Paterno but the nearly the entire administrative leadership group at Penn State that stood idle and let Sandusky go on, the Freeh report was released earlier this month. Late last month Sandusky was convicted on 45 of the 48 counts.

With it (Freeh Report) Joe Paterno’s squeaky clean legacy was shattered, detailing the full and blatant cover up for Jerry Sandusky. Penn State’s new administrative leadership responded by removing the statue of Paterno that was dedicated in 2001 when he set the record for most wins, up next NCAA sanctions those came down today and are detailed here

Unprecedented in severity they include

1. 60 million dollar fine, to be paid to an endowment for child sexual assault victims
2. Four year post season ban * Current players can transfer immediately and maintain eligibility (great move by NCAA)
3. Loss of scholarships down to a total of 15 from 25 annually
4. Vacate all wins from 1998 to 2011 (that’s 112, in all 111 for Paterno), means Paterno is no longer the winningest coach ever

All of this action including Sandusky’s prosecution occurred after Joe Paterno passed away, the legacy now left is a tarnished one if not in shambles.

Penn State will play football this upcoming year but it will be many more before they compete for a championship, and rightfully so….this tragic story his many layers and as I said it is the victims who we must always remember in spite of all these layers.

A school remains in the wake of this scandal as well, and as criminal cases still remain the final chapter in this story has yet to be written….but until that time the school….”They were Penn State”